The Committee of Public Accounts stated that “Maximising the number of citizens who benefit from public services within a timescale acceptable to them depends significantly on how efficiently services are delivered. This will be influenced by the productivity of public sector workers and how well technology and assets are utilised” [PAC 17th Report 05-06, para 24]. The Committee identified the following factors which should be addressed or for which greater progress is needed.
In addition to the material on improving productivity covered under this aspect, users may also find material under Reducing complexity helpful which covers the simplification and streamlining of processes and reducing tiers of bureaucracy and multiple funding streams.
Please click one of the factors above to go to a list of
questions for organisations to use to review their progress against each
factor.
| Factors which need to be addressed or where greater progress is needed | Signs of success* |
|---|---|
| 1. Better matching of resources to workload to meet the public’s demand for services. | Reviews of resource usage by third parties report no excessive under-utilised capacity and no indications that resource deployment is significantly out of line with Departmental priorities. |
| 2. Benchmarking of services and support functions to identify and tackle excessive costs and poor performance. | Favourable
benchmarking reports comparing efficiency of use of resources
with that of comparator bodies. Plans to address weaknesses revealed by benchmarking exercises. |
| 3. Tackle bottlenecks in service delivery chains which contribute to inefficient use of resources and delays in service delivery. | Assessments of the
presence of bottlenecks in service delivery chains. Reports of progress in tackling identified bottlenecks. |
| 4. Much greater drive to reduce unwarranted sickness absence. | Attendance targets
met. Reduction in level of recorded sick leave, for both short term and long term sick leave. |
* The “Signs of Success” are intended to help senior management to quickly determine whether the factor identified by the Committee has been addressed in their organisation.
